Marjorie Bowen, 1885-1952

Biographical note

Pseudonym of Margaret Campbell, British author who wrote historical romances, supernatural horror stories, popular
history and biography. Her total output numbers over 150 volumes with the bulk of her work under the ‘Bowen’ pseudonym.
She also wrote under the names Joseph Shearing, George R. Preedy, John Winch, Robert Paye and Margaret Campbell. As
Joseph Shearing, she wrote several sinister gothic romances full of terror and mystery. Many of these stories were
published as Berkley Medallion Books. Several of her books were adapted as films.

Her books are much sought after by aficionados of gothic horror and received praise from critics. According to Sally
Benson in The New Yorker (1965) “Mr Shearing is a painstaking researcher, a superb writer, a careful technician, and a
master of horror. There is no one else quite like him”. Graham Greene stated in his Paris Review interview (Autumn
1953), “I chose Marjorie Bowen [as a major influence] because as I have told you, I don’t think that the books that one
reads as an adult influence one as a writer . . . But books such as Marjorie Bowen’s, read at a young age, do
influence one considerably.”

Old Patch’s Medley; or, A London Miscellany, Being Some Adventures of the Old Gentleman in London City
Some Two Hundred Years Ago or So, Here Recorded [Selwyn & Blount, 1928]
Including: “The Confession of Beau Sekforde” [aka “The Housekeeper”].

The Last Bouquet: Some Twilight Tales [The Bodley Head (London), 1933]
Includes: "The Last Bouquet", "Madam Spitfire", "The Fair Hair of Ambrosine", "The Hidden Ape", "The Avenging of Anne
Leete", "The Crown Derby Plate", "The Prescription", "The Lady Clodagh", "Florence Flannery", "Kecksies", "The
Sign-Painter and the Crystal Fishes", "Raw Material".

The Knot Garden: Some Old Fancies Reset [as George Preedy] [The Bodley Head (London), 1933]
Including: “Red Champagne”, “Graf Maarten and the Idiot”.

The Bishop of Hell and Other Stories [John Lane, The Bodley Head (London) 1949]
Including: "The Fair Hair of Ambroise", "The Crown Derby Plate", "The Housekeeper", "Florence Flannery", "The Bishop of
Hell", "The Grey Chamber", "The Avenging of Ann Leete", "Kecksies".

Kecksies and Other Twilight Tales [Arkham House, 1976]
Including "The Hidden Ape", "Kecksies", "Raw Material", "The Avenging of Anne Leete", "The Sign-Painter and the Crystal
Fishes", "The Crown Derby Plate", "The Breakdown", "One Remained Behind", "The House by the Poppy Field", "Florence
Flannery", "Half Past Two" (aka "An Appointment with Stiffkey") .